Ferns, Cycads, Conifers and Vascular Plants
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Flora of Australia Glossary — Ferns, Cycads, Conifers and Vascular plants A main glossary for the Flora of Australia was published in Volume 1 of both printed editions (1981 and 1999). Other volumes contain supplementary glossaries, with specific terms needed for particular families. This electronic glossary is a synthesis of all hard-copy Flora of Australia glossaries and supplementary glossaries published to date. The first Flora of Australia glossary was compiled by Alison McCusker. Mary D. Tindale compiled most of the fern definitions, and the conifer definitions were provided by Ken D. Hill. Russell L. Barrett combined all of these to create the glossary presented here, incorporating additional terms from the printed version of Volume 37. This electronic glossary contains terms used in all volumes, but with particular reference to the flowering plants (Volumes 2–50). This glossary will be updated as future volumes are published. It is the standard to be used by authors compiling future taxon treatments for the Flora of Australia. It also comprises the terms used in Species Plantarum — Flora of the World. Alternative terms For some preferred terms (in bold), alternative terms are also highlighted (in parentheses). For example, apiculum is the preferred term, and (=apiculus) is an alternative. Preferred terms are those also used in Species Plantarum — Flora of the World. © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia, 2017. Flora of Australia Glossary — Ferns, Cycads, Conifers and Vascular plants is licensed by the Commonwealth of Australia for use under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence with the exception of the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia, the logo of the agency responsible for publishing the report, content supplied by third parties, and any images depicting people. For licence conditions see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This report should be cited as ‘Australian Biological Resources Study (2017). Flora of Australia Glossary — Ferns, Cycads, Conifers and Vascular plants. Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra.’ Flora of Australia Glossary Last updated June 2017 Flora of Australia Glossary — Ferns, Cycads, Conifers and Vascular plants A abaxial: of the side or surface of an organ, facing away from the axis, e.g. the lower or dorsal surface of the lamina. cf. adaxial. abscission: the normal shedding from a plant of an organ that is mature or aged, e.g. a ripe fruit, an old leaf. adj. abscissile. acarodomatia: domatia adapted to provide shelter to beneficial mites. acaulescent: lacking an aerial stem or trunk. cf. caulescent. accessory fruit: a fruit, or group of fruits derived from one flower, in which the conspicuous, fleshy portion develops from the receptacle and is shed with the true fruit(s) attached. accrescent: continuing to increase in size after maturity, as the calyx of some plants after flowering. accumbent: of the orientation of an embryo, with the radicle lying against the edges of the two cotyledons. achene: a dry, indehiscent fruit formed from a superior ovary of one carpel and containing one seed which is free from the pericarp (often applied, less correctly, to the one-seeded fruits of Asteraceae). cf. cypsela. acicle: a slender, stiff, needle-like prickle. adj. acicular. acicular: stiff and needle-like. aciculate: finely scored on the surface, as if scratched by a pin. acrodromous: of leaves, with two or more primary or strongly developed secondary veins running in convergent arches towards the apex. Arches not recurved at base. cf. brochidodromous, eucamptodromous, semicraspedodromous. acropetal: arising or developing in a longitudinal sequence beginning at the base and proceeding towards the apex. cf. basipetal. acrophyll: an adult lamina on the high-climbing portions of some ferns in Lomariopsis and related genera. cf. bathyphyll. acroscopic: facing or pointing towards the apex. cf. basiscopic. acrostichoid: of sporangia, densely covering the abaxial surface of the fertile frond, as in Acrostichum, i.e. not in distinct groups; of ferns, having the sporangia arranged as above. acrotonic: of flowering seasonal growth units (seasonal shoots), producing leaves below the inflorescence, cf. basitonic. actinomorphic: of a flower or calyx or corolla, radially symmetrical; symmetrical about more than one plane passing through the axis of the flower. cf. peloric, zygomorphic. aculeate: prickly. acumen: a long, tapering point. acuminate: tapering gradually to a protracted point. acute: terminating in a distinct but not protracted point, the converging edges separated by an angle less than 90 degrees. adaxial: of the side or surface of an organ, facing towards the axis, e.g. the upper or ventral surface of the lamina. cf. abaxial. adnate: fused to an organ of a different kind, e.g. applied to a stamen fused to a petal. cf. connate. adventitious: arising in abnormal positions, e.g. roots arising from the shoot system, buds arising elsewhere than in axils of leaves. adventive: introduced to an area recently. cf. introduced, naturalised. aerenchyma: tissue incorporating large, gas-filled spaces interspersed with the cells in a characteristic pattern. aerophore: a localised outgrowth associated with ventilation, as in Cyathea. aestivation: the arrangement of sepals and petals or their lobes in an unexpanded flower bud. cf. vernation. aggregate fruit: a cluster of fruits formed from the free carpels of one flower. cf. syncarp. © Commonwealth of Australia 1 Flora of Australia Glossary Last updated June 2017 alate: winged. albumen: = endosperm. alete: used of a spore which forms alone, i.e. not in diads or tetrads, and hence lacks the laesura characteristic of monolete and trilete spores. allantoid: sausage-shaped. allopatric: of distributions of two taxa or populations, having different ranges of distribution. cf. parapatric, sympatric. alternate: of leaves or other lateral organs, borne singly at different heights on the axis; of floral parts, on a different radius, e.g. describing the position of stamens with respect to petals. cf. opposite. alternitepalous: of floral parts, inserted alternately with the tepals. alveolate: pitted or honeycombed on the surface. amphistomatic: bearing stomata on both upper and lower lamina surfaces. cf. hypostomatic. amplexicaul: of a leaf base, stem-clasping. anadromous: a type of venation in which the first set of veins in each segment of the frond originates from the acroscopic side of the midrib, as in Polystichum australiense. cf. catadromous. anastomosing: of veins, forming a network or reticulum. anastomosis: fusion to form a network, e.g. of veins in a leaf blade. anatropous: of an ovule, inverted so that the micropyle faces the placenta. anauxotelic: applied to inflorescences, parts of inflorescences or to axes that do not end in a flower, and in which growth does not continue beyond the flowering region, cf. auxotelic. androdioecious: having bisexual flowers and male flowers, on separate plants. androecium: the stamens of one flower collectively. androgynophore: a stalk bearing both the androecium and gynoecium of a flower above the level of insertion of the perianth. androgynous: having male and female flowers in the same inflorescence. andromonoecious: having bisexual and male flowers, on the same plant. androphore: a stalk bearing the androecium. anemophilous: pollinated by wind. angiosperm: a seed-bearing plant whose ovules, and hence seeds, develop within an enclosed ovary. cf. gymnosperm. angustiseptate: with narrow partitions, cf. latiseptate. anisophyllous: having leaves unequal in size and shape at any one point along a branch. cf. isophyllous. anisotomous: dichotomies resulting in unequal branching. cf. isotomous. anisovalvate: when the two valves of a sporangium are unequal in size. cf. isovalvate. annual: a plant whose life span ends within one year after germination. cf. biennial, perennial. annular corona: raised fleshy tissue, usually in a ring, on the corolla around the base of the staminal column but not closely adnate to it. annular: arranged in or forming a ring. annulus: a ring; in ferns, the elastic ring of cells, forming part of the sporangium wall, that initiates dehiscence. anterior: of floral organs, on the side of the flower farthest from the axis. cf. posterior. anther: the pollen-bearing part of a stamen. cf. filament. antheridium: the fertile organ of a male gametophyte or the male organ of a bisexual gametophyte, in which male gametes are formed. pl. antheridia. cf. archegonium. anthesis: the time of opening of a flower. anthocarp: a false fruit consisting of the true fruit and the base of the perianth, as in Nyctaginaceae. antipetalous: inserted in front of the petals; opposite the petals. antisepalous: inserted in front of the sepals; opposite the sepals. © Commonwealth of Australia 2 Flora of Australia Glossary Last updated June 2017 antrorse: bent, and pointing towards the apex. cf. retrorse. apetalous: without petals. apical: of a placenta, at the top of the ovary. apiculum (= apiculus): a short, abrupt, flexible point at the apex of a pinna or pinnule. adj. apiculate. apocarpous: of a gynoecium, consisting of two or more carpels which are free from one another or almost so. apogamous: applied to pteridophytes in which a sporophyte develops from gametophyte cells other than a fertilised egg. apogamy: the state of being apogamous. apomict: a plant that produces viable seed or spores without fertilisation. apomorphic: of a character, derived. cf. autoapomorphic, pleisiomorphic,